Mr. Miller.
- May I? - Certainly.
Thank you.
Are you okay?
- Do you want a glass of water? - No.
- Was Andy a good boss? - Yes.
He was very sweet.
How would you characterize his work as an attorney?
How would I know? I just worked for him.
Excuse me, Your Honour, is this for the record?
Mr. Miller, perhaps you should return to counsel's table.
Ms. O'Hara...
Were you aware of any problems...
- that the senior partners had with Andrew's work prior to this?
- No, I wasn't. - Thank you. No more questions.
- Was Mr. Beckett forgetful? - Not to my knowledge. No.
How would you go about making a lawyer look incompetent?
Hiding an important document for a few hours?
Making it look like the responsible lawyer misplaced it?
Would the partners do that if they found out Andy was sick?
Perhaps.
We've had lawyers who've had heart attacks, ulcers, cancer...
Did you have something to do with this file being lost accidentally?
- Objection. - Did you misplace this file?
- Absolutely not. - Are you a homosexual?
Answer the question. Are you a homo? A faggot?
You know, a queen? A fairy? Rump-roaster? Are you gay?
Objection!
Counsel's attacking his own witness.
Mr. Collin's sexual orientation has nothing to do with this case.
Please have a seat, Ms. Conine.
Approach the bench, Mr. Miller.
Kindly share with me exactly what's going on in your head.
Because I haven't a clue.
Your Honour...
Everybody in this room is thinking about sexual orientation.
Sexual preference, whatever.
Who does what to whom, and how they do it.
They' re thinking about Andrew Beckett.
Mr. Wheeler, Ms. Conine, even you, Your Honour.
They' re wondering.
I know they' re thinking about me. Let's get it out in the open...
out of the closet. This case isn't just about AIDS.
Let's talk about what this case is really all about.
The general public's loathing, hatred and fear of homosexuals.
And how that hatred translated into the firing of this homosexual.
My client. Andrew Beckett.
Please have a seat, Mr. Miller.
Very good.
In this court, justice is blind to matters of race, creed, colour, ...
- and sexual orientation.
With all due respect, Your Honour...
We don't live in this courtroom, do we?
No, but with regard to this witness, I'll sustain the objection.
How many weeks at a time would you be out to sea?
Anywhere from two weeks to several months.
- Any women on board? - Not when I was in the Navy.
During these long voyages, no women in sight...
Hundreds of hard working, robust young men in their prime...
At the peak of their natural appetites and desires...
- Anything going on? - Like what?
Like two sailors down below making flippy-flop.
Objection.
There was one.
- Objection. - Continue, Mr. Miller.
You mean a homosexual?
He strutted around naked trying to be noticed. It was sick.
It was destroying our morale. We let him know what we thought.
- Did you write him a letter? - We stuck his head in a latrine.
You taught him a lesson. Just like firing Beckett taught him a lesson.
- You knew Ms. Benedict had AIDS? - She didn't try to conceal it.
So you know the difference between a bruise and a lesion?
Beckett told me he'd been hit by a ball.
How did hearing of Ms. Benedict's illness affect you?
She said that you were repulsed by her and avoided her.
I feel nothing but the deepest sympathy for people like Melissa, ...
- who contracted this disease through no fault of their own.
Andy, don't move now.
It's not going through.
We may have to flush it out again.
The vein's closed.
- We'd better call Barbara. - Nurse Ratchett?
Tell her to come over.
There's so much stuff I need to get done.
Can't we just skip treatment for tonight?
No, we are not skipping this treatment.
It's my arm and my treatment, and I say skip it.
You know something?
- That stuff is saving your life. - What's the matter with you?
- Close the law book. - Let me...
The least you can do is look at me...
- and give me a little of your time. Got it?
You are worried we don't have very much time left, aren't you?
No.
I'll tell you what...
We'll plan my memorial service and prepare for the inevitable.
Maybe you should think about it.
No.
No... I've got a better idea.
Hi, Andrew. Hi, Miguel.
Joe Miller... Lisa, nice to meet you!
This is Miguel's sister. Maria.
- Would you like a drink? - I'll take care of Joe.
- You're looking... alive tonight. - I had a blood transfusion.
Do you like it? I'm a lawsuit.
- Not bad. What are you drinking? - Wine is good.
Could I have some of the red?
- I've got some questions for you. - I'm at a party right now.
We'll get to it later.
Hi, Joe Miller.
- Do I know you? - Mona Lisa.
- Lawsuit. - Nice. Have fun.
Thank you.
- Congratulations, counsellor. - With what?
You survived what I presume to be your first gay party, intact.
When you' re brought up the way most people are, ...
- there's not a lot of discussion about homosexuality.
As a kid you' re taught that queers are funny.
Queers dress up like their mother. That they' re a danger to kids.
And that all they want to do is get into your pants.
That pretty much sums up the general thinking out there.
- Thanks for sharing that with me. - Let's go over this testimony.
First, I'll ask you:
Can you describe the circumstances in which you joined Wyant Wheeler?
Miller?
Do you ever pray?
That's not the answer I want. But, yes, I pray.
- What do you pray for? - I pray that...
I pray that my baby is healthy. I prayed at her delivery.
I pray the Phillies win the pennant. Now can we get to the questions?
Can you describe the circumstances in which you joined Wyant Wheeler?
- Can you do that? - I may miss the end of this trial.
Yes, I've considered that.
I've made some provisions in my will for some charities.
- Miguel will need a lawyer. - I know a good probate.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
Can you describe the circumstances in which you joined Wyant Wheeler?
Do you like opera?
I'm not that familiar with opera.
This is my favourite aria.
This is Maria Callas.
This is "Andrea Chenier".
Umberto Giordano.
This is Madeleine.
She's saying how...
during the French Revolution a mob set fire to her house.
And her mother died... saving her.
"Look, the place that cradled me is burning."
Can you hear the heartache in her voice?
Can you feel it, Joe?
In come the strings and it changes everything.
The music fills with a hope.
And that'll change again. Listen.
Listen.
"I bring sorrow to those who love me."
Oh, that single cello.
"It was during this sorrow that love came to me."
"A voice filled with harmony."
"It said, live still."
"I am life."
"Heaven is in your eyes."
"Is everything around you just the blood and mud?"
"I am divine."
"I am oblivion."
"I am the god...
that comes down from the heavens and makes of the earth a heaven."
"I am love!"
"I am love."
I'd better get out of here.
Lisa... I told her that...
- I'll look over the Q & A. - No, you're ready.
Jesus...
God!
I love you, little Larice.
Left hand on the Bible.
Do you swear to tell the truth?
- I do. - Please be seated.
Andrew...
Can you describe the circumstances in which you joined Wyant Wheeler?
Wyant Wheeler aggressively recruited me.
The were a very prestigious firm. I was impressed with the partners.
- Including Charles Wheeler? - Particularly Charles.
- What impressed you? - The kind of lawyer he was.
- What kind was that? - One of great legal knowledge.
A genuine leader. Gifted at bringing out the best in others.
An awesome ability to illuminate complex legal problems...
- to a colleague, a courtroom, to the man on the street.
The kind of man who can play three sets of tennis but doesn't sweat.
Underneath an elegant surface he has an adventurous spirit.
Did you ever tell Charles Wheeler you were gay?
- No, I didn't. - Why not?
In a law firm you' re not really supposed to have a personal life.
I did plan to tell Charles eventually.
But then something happened at the racquet club.
About three years ago.
Somebody started telling jokes.
What do you call a woman who has PMS and ESP at the same time?
- I don't know. - A bitch who knows everything.
Sounds like somebody I know.
- How does a faggot fake an orgasm? - He throws hot yogurt on your back.
- How did that make you feel? - Relieved...
that I never told him I was gay. Just very relieved.
- Are you a good lawyer? - I'm an excellent lawyer.
- What makes you that? - I love the law.
I know the law. I excel at practicing it.
- What do you love about the law? - Many things.
What do I love most about the law?
Every now and again, not often, but occasionally, ...
- you get to be a part of justice being done.
It really is quite a thrill when that happens.
Thank you, Andrew.
You said earlier you aspired to be a person of adventurous spirit.
- Is that correct? - Something like that.
- Do you take risks? - In this job you have to.
Did your doctor ever tell you to reduce stress?
That long hours at work might speed up your illness?
My doctor mentioned the impact AIDS... Excuse me...
My doctor mentioned the impact of stress on the immune system.
Have you ever been to the Stallion Showcase Cinema?
I've been to...
that...
I've been to that theatre three times in my life.
- What type of movies do they show? - Gay movies.
- Gay pornographic movies? - Yes.
Objection, Your Honour.
This kind of questioning is vital to the issue of credibility.
Let's see where this is going.
Continue, counsellor.
- Do men have sex there? - Some men.
Have you ever had sex with anyone in that theatre?
- I'm Robert. - Andy.
Yes, once.
Approximately what year did that event take place?
I guess it was 1984...
84 or 85.
Were you aware in 1984 of the fatal disease called AIDS?
And that you could contract it through sexual activity?
I'd heard of something...
The gay plague. The gay cancer.
We didn't know how you could get it or that it killed you.
Do you need a break, Mr. Beckett?
No... I could use some water.
John, would you bring Mr. Beckett some water, please?
While you were at Wyant Wheeler, you did hide the fact...
- that you were an active homosexual. is that correct?
No. That's not correct. I never lied about it.
As a homosexual, one is often forced to conceal one's sexuality.
- Isn't that right? - In some circumstances, yes.
You have spent your life pretending to be something that you' re not.
- Concealment and dishonesty... - I object.
I'll withdraw it.
Were you living with Miguel Alvarez in 1984,...
- when you had your...
anonymous sexual encounter in the porn theatre?
Yes.
- So you could have infected him? - Miguel has not been infected.
You didn't answer my question. Could you have infected him?
Yes.
You say the lesions on your face were clearly visible.
That's right.
Is it your contention that when the partners saw these lesions, ...
- they leapt to the conclusion you had AIDS and they fired you?
As painful as it is...
to accuse my colleagues of such reprehensible behaviour...
it is the only conclusion I could come to.
Do you have any lesions on your face at this time?
One, here... by my ear.
- May I approach the witness? - Yes, you may.
Remembering that you' re under oath, answering truthfully...
Can you see the lesions on your face in this mirror from three feet away?
Answering truthfully.
At the time I was fired, the lesions were much bigger.
Answer my question, please.
No, I can't really see them.
No more questions.
We'll take a break now. We'll reconvene in the morning.
I hate this case.
- I'd like five minutes in redirect. - Mr. Beckett, can you go on?
Three minutes.
May I borrow your mirror, please?
Andrew...
Do you have any lesions on your body...
- that resemble the lesions you had on your face when you were fired?
Yes, on my torso.
I would like to ask Andrew to remove his shirt...
- so we can all see what we' re talking about.
Objection. It would unfairly influence the jury.
If Andrew's illness forced him to use a wheelchair, ...
- would he have to park it outside so as not to influence the jury?
This is AIDS. Let's see what we're talking about.
I'll allow it. Please remove your shirt.
- God, what a nightmare. - He asked for it.
- Can you see these lesions? - Yes.
Thank you.
- Do you swear to tell the truth? - I do.
Please be seated.
Mr. Wheeler, were you aware that Andrew Beckett had AIDS...
- at the time of his departure from Wyant Wheeler?
- No. - For absolute clarity...
Did you fire Andrew Beckett because he had AIDS?
No. I did not fire Andrew Beckett because he had AIDS.
Can you explain in a way that leaves no doubt...
- why you promoted Andrew Beckett in your firm?
And then, most importantly, why you asked him to leave?
If you' re the owner of a ball club, you recruit the hot rookie.
Andy was tremendously promising. Fresh out of Penn. Crackerjack.
That's why we hired him, and why we stuck by him for so long.
Why did you give him all this opportunity?
When you've groomed someone the way we groomed Andy, ...
- nurturing him and lavishing special treatment on him, ...
- it's quite an investment.
We were waiting for the promise to deliver.
But ultimately, we could not ignore the gap between reality and promise.
Thank you, Mr. Wheeler.
No more questions, Your Honour.
- Objection, Your Honour. - AII right, Mr. Miller.
Mr. Wheeler, you are magnificent.
You are my hero. Andrew's right. You are the greatest.
Are you gay?
Objection.
- How dare you! - The witness will kindly answer.
No, I am not a homosexual.
Isn't it true that when you realized your future senior partner was gay...
- and had AIDS, it drove fear right through your heterosexual heart?
Remembering the hugs and the handshakes. The sauna.
The friendly pats on the backside that guys exchange sometimes.
It made you say, "My God! What does this say about me?"
Objection.
The witness will please respond to the question.
Mr. Miller, your innuendos and locker-room fantasies...
- can't hide the fact your client only worked when he wanted to.
Telling us what he thought we needed to know about who he really was.
Andy insisted on bending the rules. His work suffered as a result.
Explain it like I'm a six-year-old, because I just don't get it.
Who makes these rules? You?
Read your Bible, Mr. Miller. Old and New Testament.
Valuable rules.
- Excuse me... - Andrew?
I can't...
Somebody get a doctor.
Turn him over.
Call an ambulance.
Let him breathe. Please, make room.
It's not working!
It's making him worse!
Did you notice any changes in Andrew's appearance...
- in the year leading up to his termination?
- Yes, I did. - Were they for the better or worse?
Sometimes for the better, but generally for the worse.
Mr. Seidman, what did you think caused these changes in appearance?
I was afraid...
I suspected Andy had AIDS.
- Order! - Thank you. Your witness.
Did you share your suspicions with any of the other partners...
- before the decision to fire Andrew Beckett was made?
No, I didn't mention it to anyone. Not even Andy.
I didn't even give him a chance to talk about it.
And I think I'm going to regret that for as long as I live.
- Any more questions? - That's all.
They are saying that he wasn't a good lawyer.
Yet they gave him a lawsuit for one of their most important clients.
They say that doesn't prove anything. It was just a test.
They call it a "carrot".
They wanted to see if he would rise to the occasion.
Say I had to send up a pilot up in a plane that cost $350 million.
Who am I gonna put in that plane?
Some rookie, to see if he can rise to the challenge?
Or am I gonna give that assignment to my best pilot?
My most experienced... my top gun.
I just don't get that.
Will somebody explain it to me... "Iike I'm a six-year-old".
- Juror number 6? - I agree.
- Juror number 7? - I agree.
- Juror number 10? - I disagree.
- Juror number 11? - I agree.
- Juror number 12? - I agree.
- Have you awarded any damages? - Yes, we have.
For back pay and loss of benefits, we award $143,000.
For mental anguish and humiliation, we award $100,000.
And for punitive damages, we award $4,782,000.
You may record the verdict.
Everyone remain seated until the jury is removed.
This trial is now concluded.
Congratulations.
- We'll get a reversal on this one. - We'll get started in the morning.
Congratulations, Mr. Miller. I'll see you at the appeal.
Congratulations, well done.
- Thanks a lot. - I'll see you at the hospital.
Mr. Miller, hi.
He's just down the hall.
I doubt he'll leave the hospital.
If he does, he won't be how he was before this crisis.
He's lost the vision in one eye.
And because of CMV he will not regain his vision.
- Next door on the right. - CMV has ravaged his body.
Congratulations.
The man of the hour.
Hi, Joe.
We are so grateful to you.
- Can I take that for you? - It's some cheese... and stuff.
How are you doing?
What do you call a thousand lawyers chained together on the sea bed?
- I don't know. - A good start.
Excellent work, counsellor.
I thank you.
It was great working with you, counsellor.
I'd better go.
Sure thing.
I'll see you later?
Thanks for stopping by.
I'll see you again.
I'll keep it on ice for you.
- He's a fighter. - I just want to get him home.
Thank you, Joe.
What do you call a thousand lawyers chained together on the sea bed?
- A good start. - Very amusing.
I'll see you tomorrow, buddy.
God bless you, Andy.
Good night, son. Try to get some rest.
- I love you, Andy. - I love you too, Dad.
See you first thing tomorrow.
- See you tomorrow. - Come on, sweetheart.
Good night, my angel.
My sweet boy.
Let me help you.
Miguel...
I'm ready.
Joe, it's Miguel.
English subtitles - IFT